


Just Another Day

by FujurPreux



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-14
Updated: 2010-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FujurPreux/pseuds/FujurPreux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one had told Merlin that being a servant in Camelot would be easy, but he never expected it to be something this convoluted. Spoilers for 2x02: The Once and Future Queen</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Another Day

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [tobreakthespell](http://community.livejournal.com/tobreakthespell/) @ LJ using as a prompt the fairy tale _East of the Sun and West of the Moon_.

After a very long and exhausting journey, Merlin finally found himself in front of Gwen's cottage. He was tired, dirty, and everything ached, but he was far from done. Very far from done.

He took a deep breath, prepared what he considered one of his most charming grins, and knocked the door.

 

~

 

Gwen stared at Merlin. "I have to what?"

"Sleep with Arthur three nights in a row," Merlin answered, all smiles. "To break the spell."

"I-- I can't do that!" She was blushing fiercely and looked like she was about to kick Merlin on the head.

"You have to! There is no other way!" Merlin begged with all the determination he was capable of before realizing what he had been actually saying. He sputtered wildly for a few moments as he tried to correct himself. "Wait! Wait! It's not that kind of sleep! It's the other one!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "The other one?" she repeated slowly.

"Yes! You know, the sleep-sleep... sleep. Just lying next to each other from sunset to sunrise. He'll pick you up at nightfall and he'll bring you back here at dawn. It has to do with trust. It'll mean that you see the man inside the beast. Three nights, Gwen. Three nights and that's it."

Gwen pressed the bridge of her nose. "What does the king has to say about this?"

"The king? Nothing. Nothing, really. What would the king have to say something about this?"

Gwen glared at him.

"Listen," he said, "I'm not going to the throne room to tell Uther that his son was transformed into a bear because he saw a naked fairy."

"Merlin!"

"And, for once, Arthur agrees with me. He's ashamed enough as it is!"

"He well should be! If he saw her naked!"

"He didn't do it on purpose," Merlin explained. "In fact, I'd say it was her fault to begin with. She was, after all, taking a bath in the river --in the open!-- and he happened to pass by looking for prey." He began pacing, rubbing his face with his hands. "Please, Gwen. You don't know what I went through to make her tell me how to break her curse." He shuddered at the thought of those three old ladies and their creative uses for gold.

Gwen sighed. "Arthur needs to learn to be more careful when he's hunting."

"I know. I keep telling him that." You would have thought he got it after what happened the last time with the unicorn, Merlin told to himself. "But, Gwen, please. The first sunset is coming down. Will you do it? Please? For Camelot?" He paused and looked at her eyes. "For Arthur?"

She sighed again. She was already giving in, as Merlin had expected. Subtlety was a tricky subject, but he was a fast learner.

"Of course I will," she said. "You already knew that when you came to ask me, didn't you?"

Oh.

He wasn't being that transparent, was he?

Nevertheless, Merlin grinned; a victory was a victory "Thank you, Gwen. I'll go tell Arthur so he can come get you. He's the biggest bear you've ever seen, but he's still himself inside. He still has his eyes. And he'll be gentle." He'll be gentle with you, Merlin thought. Ah, the advantages of being the bratty prince's true love...

"Fine. Where will you be, Merlin?"

"I'll be around, taking care of little things like food and lodging, as usual. Don't worry about it."

Gwen nodded and went to pick up her cloak. Then, she sat down next to the door. "Tell him I'll be waiting right here."

"I will."

"And also tell him I'm not going to spend the rest of my life breaking all the spells he gets himself into."

He bowed his head. "Certainly."

She rubbed her forehead. "I can't believe how the oddest things always end up happening to both of you."

Merlin shrugged. "Well, Arthur being the Crown Prince and all... Uh, the sun is going down. I have to go. Again, thank you, Gwen."

She shook her head as she watched him leave her house.

 

~

 

Merlin left Gwen's cottage already making plans for what was coming next. He still had to make sure the guards wouldn't catch Arthur and Gwen as they were coming and going --a bear that big was bound to call the attention of at least a couple of persons. And if those persons weren't guards, they'd call for one. Besides, everyone would think that a woman riding a beast that size had to be a witch. That didn't make things easier at all. Merlin was glad Gwen had thought of wearing a cloak.

No, he still couldn't allow himself to rest nor tell himself he would be back soon to his own room in the castle --specially if he wanted to do it with his head still on his shoulders. Yes, Arthur had been deprived of speech, but he had managed to make himself quite clear on the matter of what would happen if this failed. Merlin had stopped himself from replying that, in that case, Arthur's new and fluffy skin would end up hanging on one of Uther's walls before the prince could take it on his servant. He didn't say it mainly because that was also a rather undesirable turn of events.

Therefore, and since there would be no second chances, this one plan had to work flawlessly.

True, no one had told Merlin that being a servant in Camelot would be easy, but he never expected it to be something this convoluted, starting with the thing about the coin and its two sides. Arthur wasn't even a king yet and he already got himself in enough trouble. Merlin wondered if it was going to be this tiring for the rest of his life, although he suspected it'd only get worse.

However, Merlin was starting to enjoy being in this side of the business. Manipulating the circumstances so that the maiden could save the prince and then looking at the happy ending he had helped create was a reward on its own.

Well, there he was now. The bear's lair. Merlin rubbed his hands. Time to give Arthur the good news.


End file.
